Well packer



Nov. 19, 1935. F. J. sPANG WELL PACKER Filed July 21, 1934 Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,021,206 WELL PACKERv Ferdinand J. Spang, Butler, Pa. l Application July 2.1, 1934, Serial No. '736,357

4 Claims. (ci. ite-1o) This invention relates to well packers such as are commonly employed in the drilling of oil and gas wells for the purpose of sealing or packing a portion of the wall of the well to preventthe in- 5 fflowof water or other undesirable liquids, and

more particularly to a packer of novel construction which will readily permit the passage of a swab therethrough.

Packers of the type now in ordinary use genverally include an expansible'packer element such as a rubber sleeve, that is loosely mounted on a tube called the packer body, and is held in place thereon between a coupling member which is secured to the upper en'dk of the packer body, and a "shell which is slidably mounted on the lower end thereof. The shell is provided withV an inwardly projecting shoulder or collar which isv either formed integrally therewith or attached thereto that cooperates with an annular outwardly eX- tending shoulder onthe packer body for supporting the shell on the body and limiting the antitelescopic movement thereof and to secure free sliding movement the internalldiameter of the shell is such that it is freely slidable over the shoulder on the packer body." A

When the packer is to be used, it is inserted between two sections of lwell tubing or casing, with the coupling member and the shell connected to adjacent sections thereof, and lowered into the well. As the lower en d of the casing comes in contact with the bottom of the well, the downward movement thereof and of the shell ceases and the rubber sleeve or packer'elernent is then expanded into engagement with the wall of the well by the compressive force on the element due to the weight of the casing above the packer, causing the packer body to move downwardly in theshell.

After the packer has been placed in position in the well, it is often necessary to remove the water 40 and other liquids which have collected in the well.

This is accomplished by the use of a suction plunger having a rubber body or cup, known as a swab.

which is inserted into the well through the casing 4 and the packer element. While these swabs are of necessity close fitted to the inner diameter of the casing or tubing and while they have certain yieldable qualities, they are not yieldable to the extend that they will carry their load or retain the suctionalready created therein during their passage through the enlarged diameter of the shell of the packer, and it is not an uncommon occurrence to have this yieldable swab expand to such an extend that it becomes fast within the shell of the packer, resulting in the breaking of the swabbing line' or the stripping of that line from the socket of the swab.

The primary object of the present invention is to `provide a packer having means associated therewith for facilitating. the passage of the swab 5 therethrough.

Another object of this invention is to provide a packer through which a rubber swab or cup may pass without undue expansion or obstruction, and

which is simple of construction, easy to manufacl0 ture and serviceable in operation.

A further object is to provide a packer having substantially the same internal diameter throughout its length for facilitating the passage of a swab therethrough and preventing the fouling of the l5 i swab.

These and other objects which will be made apparent to those skilled in this particular art, are accomplished by means of this invention, one embodiment of which is described in the following 20 specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in section of a packer made in accordance with'myinvention and illustrated in its open position 25 Fig. 2 is a View of the packer illustrated in Fig.

l, in its expanded position;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on line III--III of Fig. '1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV 30 of Fig. l.

As illustrated in the drawing, my improved well packer includes a tube I@ forming the packer body around which an expansible packer element'Il made of any suitable material, such as a rubber 35 sleeve, is loosely mounted. The upper end of the tube lil .is connectedl to a coupling member I2 having a shoulder Iza, thereon, which cooperates with a collar I5 supported on the lower end of the tube I i), to` hold the packer element II in posi- 40 tion on the packer body. The collar I5 is slidably mounted on the packer body Il! and is yieldably held against an annular shoulder I4 which extends outwardly `from the lower end of the body IG by means of frangible` pins I5a. 45

In order to actuate or expand the packer element I I, means are provided for moving the collar I5 relative to the tube I ll. This means comprises a shell-like member I6 which is connected tothe coupling I5 andV extends a considerable dis- 50 tance below the lower end of the tube I 0 terminating in a threaded socket Ita for receiving a section of casing I8. Since the collar is freely slidable on the body Ill, the internal diameter of Vthe shell I6 must be considerably greater than 55 ered into the well. As the lower end of the string v of casing or tubing strikes the bottom of the well, the shell it is held stationary while the weight of the casing connected above the couplingV I 2 transmits a Vtelescopic pressure to the packer body IIll and causes it to move through the collar I5 into Y the interior of the shell, shortening the distance between the shoulder I 2a and the collar I5 whereby the packer element I I is expanded into engagement with the wall of the well. (Figure 2.)

To fully expand the packer element -II, it -is essential that the shell I6 be of such length that the packer body I cannot beY moved into contact with the socket portion Ilia and, as a result of this construction, a chamber is always formed beneath the lower end'of the tube I!) which is considerablyY greater in diameter than the internal diameter of the packer body and which interferes materially 'with the passage of a suction plunger or swab through'the packer. This difference between the internal diameter of the shell I6 and the internal diameter of the tube I0 must necessarily be material since it is not only essential Ato secure sufficient' strength inV the body of the packer and in Vthe shell to carry the required load of casing,

but also enough space to form a shoulder on the end of the body I0 of such size that it will :also have'suiiicient strength to carry this load.

In order to prevent the fouling of the swab during its passage through the packer and to secure a close fit between the swab and the packer during its passage therethrough, I provide a tube VIl of relatively thin material which is threadably secured to the socket lla'at the bottom of the shell i6 and is telescopically extended into thepacker body It. Preferably this tube I'I is provided with an internal diameter that is substantially identical with the internal diameter of casing I8, and an external diameter substantially the same as the interior of the tube I0,

. and in order to avoid the formation of aninternal shoulder in the packer the coupling I2 is provided with a beveled surface I2Vb7 adjacent the upper end of thebody i0. Since the tube or sleeve i 'I does not carry any of the weight of the packer or of the tubing or casing and does not need any annular ksupportingv shoulders, it may be made relatively thin, consequently, the difference between the internal diameter of this sleeve I1 and Y the internal diameter of thepacker body I0 is Y through' the packer.

relatively slight andas a result of the beveled surface IZa the swab does not pass suddenlyrfrom one diameter to another during its kpassage Y In ordergto Vfurther facilitate the'passage of the swab through the. packer,- the upper end of the tube Il is provided with-a relatively long internal bevel or taper I@ and this 'surface with the internal beveled surface IZaractsV to prevent the swab'from passing abruptly from a section ofV one diameter into a section of different diameter.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have provided a packer for drilling operations through which a swabV rubber or cup may be readily passed without danger of becoming ,What I claim as new and desire to Vsecure-by,v

Letters Patent is:

1. A well packer comprising a tubular packer body, a packer element loosely mounted onV said body, an actuator shell of greater diameter than said body telescopically supported thereon, and a thin walled tubular member securedftosaid shell and telescopically extending intosai'd body, the external diameter of said tubular member be! ingslightly less than 'the internal diameter of.A said body to form a passage of substantially the same diameter packer. A

' 2. A well packer comprising, a tubular ,bod-y terminating atits lower end in 'an outwardly ex` tending 'annular shoulder, a collar Supported on said shoulder and slidable on said body, a packer element surrounding said body and supportedon said collar, VaV shell having an' internal diameter 'throughput the length `or said,25

greater than the external diameter of fsaidtubev e and shoulder secured`to said collar, and Va thin walled tube secured to said shell'and telescopically received withinsaid body.

'8; A well packer comprising apacker body hav- V` Y ing anV enlarged outwardly projecting shoulder on the lower end thereof, a collarsupported on said shoulder, an expansible packer element loosely mounted onsaid body and supported onmsaid collar, an actuator` shell for packer element; thi'eadedly connected to` said collar, said shell being freely slidable over the shoulder on said body, and asle'eve'having an externaly diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of said packer bodysecuredto said shell and extending into the interionof 4said body.

4. .A well packer comprising a tubular packerY body having anA enlarged "outwardly projecting expanding said y shoulder on the lower Vend thereof, a collar supported on said shoulder' Vandslidable on said body, anY expansible packer elementn surrounding said body and supported on saidrcolla'r, a breakable 'Y connection between said collar and said packer, body, an actuator shellfor expanding said packer Velement threadedly` connected to said Vcollar and adapted to break said breakable connection, said shell having-an internal diameter substantially greater-than the external diameter of the shoulder on the lower end ofsaid packer body and being freely slidable thereover, fa thin `walled tubular` member secured tosaid shell telescopically extending into the interior-ofsaidlbody, saidV member having an externaldiameter-slightly less toform a passageof substantially ,the same diameter throughout the entire length of said packer.VV

'Y FERDINAND; sPANG. 10

than theuinternal'diameter of said. packer body Y 

